Indonesia’s manufacturing industry rose to the 9th place in the world after being ranked among the top 10 since 2015, according to Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto.

"Indonesia has reached the 9th place in 2017. The result was delivered by the representative of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization in Indonesia Shadia Bakhait Hajarabi," he noted after meeting Shadia Bakhait Hajarabi on Monday.

Minister Hartarto further said that Indonesia had achieved the rank, as manufacturing and industrial production have been increasing in recent years. "It was based on the added value provided by the manufacturing sector. There has been a spurt in manufacturing and industrial production. Indonesia and the United Kingdom are ranked at the same position," he stated.

Responding to the achievement, Hartarto has affirmed that all parties must continue to work hard to achieve better results. "We have to keep working. We are seeking a soft copy of the report," he noted. The evaluation of the Indonesian manufacturing industry by UNIDO will help the government to set priorities in its industrial policy and strengthen the sector.

The manufacturing industry accounts for almost a quarter of Indonesia’s gross domestic product and still is the driving force of economic growth. Due to the manufacturing sector’s strength, Indonesia was able to maintain a positive growth even in the midst of the global financial crisis when the economy of advanced industrialized countries declined.